Advertising device.



P. A. STADLER.

ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLIOATION IILED NQV. 1, 1910.

Patented May 2, 1911.

2 BHEETS SHEET 1.

A ltomey THE .wnms FEIERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

F. A.-'STADLEE, ADVERTISING DBVIUE. nrmonmn FILED Nov. 1, 1910 Paterited Ma 2, 1911.

1N VEN T OR fi /v 7% 5/727 3 WITNES E5 Allar'ney rm: NORRIS PETERS cm,WASHINGTON, n. c.

UT TA FRANK A. STADLEB, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

" ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 11911.

Application filed November 1, 1910. Serial No. 590,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. STADLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AdvertisingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of advertising devices, and moreparticularly to devices of that character which are designed to betransmitted through the mails in an ordinary envelop.

To this end the invention has in view a practical and attractiveadvertising novelty in the form of a card capable of bearing any desiredadvertising matter and having associated therewith folding elementswhich are held in restrained position when within the envelop and which,when the card is drawn out of the envelop, sharply spring up into normalposition which at once surprises and pleases the recipient; at the sametime afiording an interesting means of presenting the sendersadvertisement.

In its specific application the present in vention contemplates theimproved feature of an advertising card, including as a part thereof awallinclosed or house-like structure held in its knock-clown conditionby the envelop, andwhich, when the card is drawn out of the envelop,automatically becomes assembled and set up with all of the foldingelements in proper operative relation.

With these and other objects in view, which will be readily apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The essential feature of the invention involved is the idea of abasecard bearing folding elements adapted to become automatically set up toprovide an inclosed structure, and is necessarily susceptible to avariety of structural modifications without departing from the scope ofthe invention, but certain preferred and practical embodiments of thelatter are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an advertising device constructed inaccordance with the present invention and showing the folded elementscollapsed or knocked-down as held within the envelop. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the same form of the invention, with the foldingelements set up, as when released from within the envelop. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view in the direction of the length of the card, withthe folding elements in set up relation, the view also showing in dottedlines the folding elements in an intermediate position between their setup relation and when completely collapsed. Fig. 4c is a cross-sectionalview on the line l4 of Fig. 3, showing the side wall folding elements byfull and dotted lines in two positions. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similarto Figs. 3 and 4 of a modified form of the invention, wherein thefolding structure is formed of one piece of mate rial. Figs. 7 and 8 areviews similar to Figs. 5 and 6 showing another modification, and whereinthe folding structure may be constructed to include front doors and apicture, which may be exposed to view by looking through the front door.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

In all embodiments of the invention the same idea is preserved, namely,that of a base card of a size to fit within an envelop and havingattached thereto a folding structure made up of a plurality of foldingelements and adapted to be held in a collapsed or knocked-down conditionupon the card by the restraint of the envelop within which the device isplaced, and which, when released, become automatically assembled andprovide a wall-inclosed or a house-like structure.

In the embodiment of the invention suggested in Figs. 1 to 4.,inclusive, of the drawings, it will be observed that the same includes abase card 1 of the character referred to, and which is made of a pieceof pasteboard or other material sufliciently stiff for the purpose,while at the same time being adapted to readily fit into an envelop tobe mailed in the usual way. This base card has mounted thereon a foldingstructure which, in the form herein described, includes in itsorganization a plurality of folding elements, namely, a front wall 2, arear wall 3, opposite side walls 4, and a top piece 5, the bottom of thefolding structure being closed in by the base card 1. As shown, the folding element constituting the front wall 2 has a hinge connection at itslower edge, as at 6, to the base card, while the rear wall 3 likewisehas a similar hinge connection 7 at the lower edge of the base card, andsaid rear wall 3 is preferably scored from the same piece of cardboardor equivalent material as the side walls 4 and top piece 5, said sidewalls 4 and the top piece 5 therefor respectively having hingedconnections 8 and 9 with the rear wall 3. Retractile elements 10,preferably in the form of elastic bands, are connected to the side walls4 and to the base card 1, while a similar retractile element 11 isconnected with the front wall 2 and the free edge portion of the toppiece 5. The said front wall 2 may or may not be provided with aswinging door section 12 to carry out the house effect, and may alsobear any suitable advertisement or design such as may be intended to becarried by the device, although it will be understood that theadvertising matter may be placed at any point or points withoutaffecting the invention.

In the form of the invention hereindescribed, the structure may becollapsed by first folding the side walls l inwardly against the rearwall, as indicated in Fig. 4, whereupon the connected back, top andfront may be swung backward and downward, as indicated by the dottedlines in Fig. 3, and carried to the position shown in Fig. 1. Upon therelease of this device from the envelop the stretched elastics 10 and 11automatically draw the structure into upright position with all of theelements thereof in the set up relation shown in Fig. 2.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings,the only essential difference between the same and the constructionalready described resides in the fact of the various folding elementsbeing scored from the same piece of cardboard or equivalent material andin having an elastic element 12 connecting the rear wall 3 with the basecard. In other essential respects the construction and action isidentical with that described in connection with the form shown in Figs.1 to l inclusive of the drawings.

Again, as suggested in the modifications shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of thedrawings, the top piece and side walls may be carried directly with thefront wall 2, thus leaving the rear wall 3 as an independent elementadapted to be drawn up into upright position and held in the latter byan elastic element 13 connected therewith and with the base card. Alsoin this latter modification referred to, a picture-bearing card 14 maybe mounted upon the base card, as at 15, within the folding structure,and which picture-bearing card will present at one side thereof apicture that can be seen through the door 12 of the folding structurewhen set up.

Other modifications will readily suggest themselves without furtherdescription, it, of course, being understood that each and all forms ofthe invention embody the features hereinbefore referred to.

I claim 1. An advertising device comprising a base card, and a foldingstructure collapsibly mounted upon said card and consisting of aplurality of wall-forming elements having hinged edge portions, andretracting means arranged to automatically draw said elements intoassembled and upright position on the card upon the release of thedevice from an envelop.

2. An advertising device comprising abase card, and a folding structuremounted on the card and consisting of a plurality of folding hingedelements arranged to constitute the inclosing walls of a wall-inclosedstructure, and retracting means arranged to automatically draw saidelements into assembled and set up relation upon release of the devicefrom an envelop.

3. An advertising device comprising a base card, a plurality of foldingand hinged elements mounted on the card and arranged to constitute thewalls of a wall-inclosed structure, said folding elements including afolding front wall, a folding rear wall, oppositely arranged, inwardlyand downwardly folding side walls, and a folding top piece, andretracting elastics cooperating with said folding elements and arrangedto automatically draw the same into assembled and set.

up relation upon release of the device from an envelop.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. FRANK A. STADLER. lVitnesses AGNES A. JOHNSTON, DAVID E.J ONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

